19th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 8-10, 2020 • Kansas City, MO
3/09/2020 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Early Identification of Children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing Plus (D/HH Plus) Including those who are Deaf-Blind | New York B
Early Identification of Children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing Plus (D/HH Plus) Including those who are Deaf-Blind
This presentation will address the critical importance of early identification, referral, and intervention for infants and toddlers who are D/HH Plus including those who are deaf-blind from a parent perspective. The parent panel will illustrate, using their own stories, the value of early identification of vision and hearing status, and the key strategies that supported their children to learn and grow. The focus of the discussion will highlight the necessity of collaboration between early interventionists, State Deaf-Blind Projects, and families to create meaningful routines and authentic interactions that support providing access to the environment, social relationships and key foundational concepts that will maximize developmental outcomes.
Experiences that occur during the earliest years of life have a profound influence on a child's ability to learn, move, and interact with others. The acquisition of communication skills for children who have insufficient access to auditory input is thus delayed (Probst, 2017). Therefore, for children who are D/HH Plus, including those who are deaf-blind, physical, communication, cognitive, social, and emotional developmental domains are deeply intertwined. It is critical that early interventionists working with infants and toddlers who are D/HH Plus including those who are deaf-blind understand the impact that insufficient access to sensory input (visual and auditory) plays on learning. Furthermore, when interventionists have knowledge of etiologies and risk factors commonly associated with deaf-blindness and learn skills related to implementing unique strategies, children who are deaf-blind develop improved foundational concepts, communication skills, and meaningful social relationships. Building this knowledge will aid professionals as they support the development of the child and family during early foundational years of learning.
- Participants will build awareness of the family perspective on the critical importance of early identification of vision and hearing status.
- Participants will build awareness of the impact that insufficient access to sensory input (visual and auditory) plays on the learning of infants and toddlers who are D/HH Plus including those who are deaf-blind.
- Participants will build awareness of the family perspective on key intervention strategies that support the learning of infants and toddlers who are D/HH Plus including those who are deaf-blind and their families
Presentation:
21060_12541EmmaNelson.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Amanda Hvass
(), Hands & Voices of Oregon , amanda@positive-impact-consulting.com;
Amanda is a mother of three boys, one of which is Deaf plus. Having experienced the EHDI system as a parent, she now as a Guide By Your Side Coordinator leads the program and collaborates with professionals in the field. With special interest in collaboration, she works with the Oregon EHDI team, their Advisory Committee, Hands & Voices and her local school district to promote healthy connections and successful children. She holds a certification in Performance Coaching and working with teams for healthy outcomes within their organization or business.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Gift,Speaker for Teaching and speaking from Early Identification and Intervention Initiative Lead National Center on Deaf-Blindness/HKNC.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Emma Fricke
(), Helen Keller National Center, enelson@helenkeller.org;
Emma Nelson, MS Ed is the Initiative Lead for Early Identification and Referral at the National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB). She is certified as an early childhood special educator and has taught infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with complex needs including deaf-blindness in classrooms, community, and home-based settings. Before coming to NCDB, she served as Project Director for Vermont’s Federal Deaf-Blind Project. Emma is trained in Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and earned her Master's degree at Hunter College in Early Childhood Special Education with a concentration in severe and multiple disabilities and deaf-blindness.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment from National Center on Deaf-Blindness.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
LaShawna Sims
(), Hands & Voices, lashawna@nvhandsandvoices.org;
LaShawna Sims is from El Paso, Texas and holds a BBA from Northwood University. In 2009, she married an Air Force Airman and currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband Karl and their sons Karl II and Logan. Their sons are profoundly deaf and the youngest also has Autism. LaShawna is currently the bilingual Parent Guide for Nevada Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side program. She is also a Project Leader of the Hands & Voices Military Project. As a military spouse, she realized some challenges military families face and was inspired to bring awareness to the specific needs of military families with D/HH children. Her commitment to helping families with D/HH children has been recognized with a nomination for The Seaver Vision Award in 2018. Most recently, she was named the 2019 Armed Forces Insurance Nellis Air Force Base Military Spouse of the Year.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Other financial benefit for Other activities from National Center on Deaf-Blindness.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Lisa Saunders
(), National CMV Foundation, LisaSaunders42@gmail.com;
Lisa Saunders is the mother of a Elizabeth born severely disabled by congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) in 1989. Until Elizabeth's birth, Lisa was unaware of CMV and although she was a licensed, in-home child care provider, a church nursery volunteer and the mother of a toddler--all activities that put her at high risk for CMV--she was not educated about the disease and how to reduce her chances of contracting it. In 2015, Lisa was instrumental in helping Connecticut become the second state in the U.S. to enact a law requiring the testing of newborns for CMV if they fail their hearing screen. A graduate of Cornell University, Lisa is a public speaker, an award-winning writer and the author of several books, some with a CMV prevention message. She is the leader of the Child Care Providers Education Committee with the National CMV Foundation.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Other financial benefit for Other activities from National Center on Deaf-Blindness/HKNC.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Michelle John
(), Vermont Hands & Voices, michelle.john@hotmail.com ;
Michelle holds dual Bachelors of Arts degrees in psychology and sociology from Hofstra University, and her Masters of Science in community counseling and psychology with a specialization in addictions counseling from Springfield College. She also earned her certification as an End-of-Life Doula through the University of Vermont. Currently, she is in the final portfolio stage of becoming a certified DeafBlind Intervener. Michelle is a Newborn Screening Ambassador for Expecting Health, works closely with the National Center on DeafBlindness, and is a governor-appointed member of the VT Developmental Disabilities Council.
While spending many of her beginning adult years enjoying pursuing higher education, and proud of these accomplishments, she's just as quick to share life sent her in a divergent direction; her highest achievement comes from raising and educating her 3 children by being a stay-at-home parent. She is all things medical, educational, coordination and physical care to her 10-year-old DeafBlind+ (Plus) child who has a variety of significant medical complexities, and willing teacher to those with questions and readiness to learn—most often her other two children.
Michelle has been the President of Vermont Hands & Voices since 2018. In this role, she sits on a variety of Boards, Committees, Coalitions, Panels, and Councils to further the identified needs of children birth to adulthood, who are D/deaf/hard of hearing/plus and their families. She is passionate about inclusion of choices, D/HH/Plus adult infusion, all volunteer-organizations, NASDSE Guidelines, parents as paid caregivers to medically complex children, DeafBlind Plus needs, and siblings of D/d/hh/Plus individuals, as well as the vastly differing needs of families in rural living. Spending time in webinars, meetings, trainings, as well as presenting at and fully attending various conferences yearly keeps her up to date on best practices, improving the ability to meet a variety of stakeholders who can become a resource to families across the US and Canada.
In her middle of the night “spare time”, she enjoys reading autobiographies, creating wild goals that sometimes seem unattainable, watching reality television and “American Greed”, and pretending to get some sleep.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Other financial benefit for Other activities from National Center on Deaf-Blindness.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Kimberly Freeman
(), Kansas CHARGE State Family Liaison, kansaschargeliaison@gmail.com;
Kimberly Freeman is a mother of 2 beautiful children, Weston (6) and Jackie (4). Kim worked as a registered nurse until her daughter Jackie was born. Jackie has CHARGE syndrome and has spent the bulk of her life in and out of the hospital. She is doing remarkably well now due to her resilient spirit. Kim serves as the Kansas CHARGE State Family Liaison where she connects families with much needed resources and support.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Megan Cote
(), National Center on Deaf-Blindness, megan.cote@hknc.org;
Did not submit
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.